Selective dispensing machine



, March 1, 19 27.

W. C. CUTLER SELECTIVE DISPENS ING MACHINE Filed Sept. 16, 1925 INVENTOR. E M.

Patented Mar. 1,1927. T I ilpfilgazgg UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFI E WILLIAM c. CUTLER, or GLENDALE, cALIEoENIA, ASSIGNOB To ISABELLA M. CU ER,

.. OF GLENDALE, cALIEoaN A,

SELECTIVE :oIsrENsINe MACHINE.

Application filed September 16, 1925. Serial No. 56,716.

, The present invention relates to selective holder being in very close proximity to the dispensing and vending machines and has side walls of the adjacent holders. By placfor its principal object the provision of a ing all holders'close 'to each other the pos simple and compact machine adapted to sibility of inserting any thin bladed instru- 5 store articles of either regular or irregular ment between the holders is precluded. v 60 shapes and sizes in such mannerthat any Each holder is arranged to be movable so selected article contained in the machine may that its outer open end may be moved from be had only by proper or authorizedoperaunder the closed portion of the top wall into tion of the machine. I p j registration with the opening in said wall.

Another object of the inventionis to pro- Various means may be employed for render- 65 vide a selective vending or dispensing maing the holders so movable'but, in the em chine suited for articles which are not bodiment shown, each holder is individually adapted to being subjected to pressure or con hinged to the rear wall as at 18. The holdtinual movement. ers, in the embodiment shown, are of rectan- Another object of the invention is to 'progular cross section and include front and vide a machine of the class described from rear walls 19 andv 20. respectively. Being which any selected article may bev obtained hinged at the point most remote [from the without disturbing other contained articles. front wall, the holders, especially when Another object of the invention is to profilled, will each incline toward the front wall 0 vide simple operating and selecting mechaby its weight. and accordingly .said front 7 nism, with a view to eliminating latches, wall is inclined outwardly and upwardly latch releases, springs, etc. i to act as a suitable rest and stop for the Another object of the invention is to pro holders. The holders each include a bottom vide a machine of the class described, emwall 21 so that a contained article such as bodying a plurality of article holders, in 22 maybe held therein. Another purpose which machine the article holders are capafor the bottom wall will be apparent here-- ble of arrangement in close juxtaposition so inafter. The front wall .is provided with a that no intervening space is used up or hinge 23 so that it may be swung forwardly wasted, k p v v and downwardly, and the top wall is pref- Still other objects include simplicity of erably made integral with the front wall. 85

mechanism and low manufacturing cost and It will be apparent now thatthe' front wall upkeep." f V may be swung forwardly anddownwardly,

Further objects and advantages of my inleaving all the article holders fully exposed vention will appear hereinafter. for inspection and refilling. The upper A I have illustrated mvmven'tlon bythe acends" of the vertical walls of each holder are 90 similar view showing the parts in operaarticle holders with ust enough clearance .45 I In carrying out my invention I employ a form of holder illustrated is well adapted wall 14. In conformance with a salient feacessible but may be seen thru sight openings -5 bodies side walls 17 the side walls of each obtained it is necessary to move the article companying drawings in which Figure 1 is a I disposed 'on an arc coaxial of the center of view in front elevation of one embodiment oscillation of. the holder, and the top wall of of my invention, Figure Qis a view in secthe casing is accordingly curved The top tion on a line 2-2 of Figure 1, Figure 3 is wall fits closelyover thenpper ends of the tive position, Figure l is'a plan view of one to permit of the holders being moved, withend of the machine, and Figure 5 is a view out appreciable friction.

in section of the other end as seen on a line .The, holders may each contain a single 5-5 of Figure 2. article or a plurality of loose articles and the plurality of article holders 10, each having for holding irregular objects such as candy an open outer end. as at 10. The machine bars, loose articles in bags, fruit, and the includes a casing 11 having a' front wall 11 like. hen the holder is in the position 'a bottom wall 12, a rear wall 13 and a top shown in Figure 2, the contents are inacture of my invention said top wall has a 24:, one of which is provided for each holder solid portion 15 and an open port-ion 16. and which are closed collectively by a glass The article holders are arranged side by plate 25. i

side across the machine and each holder em- Before the contents of any holder can be 11 O lit) thru a bearing tltlwithin the casing; and includes an integral thrust collar 31. Between the bearing and collar. I provides spring 32 under considerable compression that friction between the collar and hearing will hold the rock shaft in any position in which it is set. Just externally of the casing, I provide a small housing33which may contain a coin released lock (not shown) or other coin controlled means to prevent nn authorized rocking of the shaft. Numerous coin-controlled means for rem'leriug the handle inoperative onthe rock shaft without the payment of the requisitetoll are well known to the art and therefore I have not illustrated or described any such means.

\Vhere the machine is to be used. without payment of a toll, no such coin controlled means is required.

The rock shaft is provided with a groove 34 in which rides a pin 35. and said pin is carried by a cam 36. With the cam disposed below an article holder. rocking of the shaft will cause the cam to act on the bottom wall of a holder and more same into vertical position over against the rear wall of the casing. The article holders oneach side are cut away as at 38. immediately above the rock shaft, so that if the cam is positioned intermediately of two holders it will not be efl'ective on either. To selectively position the cam. which is loosely slidable along the length of the shaft, I provide a movable forked member 39. Said forked member is arranged to slide along a. rod 40 and passes out thru a slot ll in the front wall of the casing and terminatesin a selecting handle While the forked member will move the cam along the shaft in either direction, it will allow the cam and rock shaft to turn freely. a

In the operation of the machine. the selecting handle is moved to dispose the cam be low the article holder which contained the desired article. It will be understod that each holder may contain a dillerent article and the number of different articles or brands to be vended by the machine is limit ed only to the number of holders employed. hen the cam is positioned, the operating lever is rocked to rock the shaft. If the machine is coin controlled. then a coin must be inserted first in the coin controlled met-hanism, but it will be apparent that the selecting handle may be moved independentl of the rock shaft so that/the selection may be made at any time. \Vhen the shaft is rocked, the cam will move the holder to the position shown in Figure 3 in which position the contents oi the holder may be removed. The friction means described will hold the shaft in any position in which it is left and thereby the holder is held in accessible position, without effort, as long as desired. No stops, limits, or return springs are used or required forthe operating handle and rock shaft. the moved holder being the sole limiting means. The operating handle may be left in position with the holder in accessible position, but before the cam can be moved to another holder it must be turned back to original position by the same or a subsequent purchaser. hen the shaft and cam are returned tonormal position, the holder will drop back into inaccessible osition where it cannot collect dust or the like.

The machine is easily replenished as exliilained, and article holdersare so close together and so arranged that they cannot readily be unlawfully movedto accessible position, particularly when. the machine is bolteddown as by bolts 41.

In Fi 'ure 6 I have shown a. modification inwhich there is provided a lip on the boti tom wall of cachholder engaged by a latch so that the holders areeach individually locked against movement. .The cam has an additional protruding portion ill, which, when the cam is turned first abuts and releases the latch just before it starts to raise the bottom wall of the holder.

It will be apparent now that I. have provided simple and efficient means for selectively vending articles and while I, have specified certain constructions, I do not limit myself to any contraction or arrangement of parts and may alter same as I desirewitliout enlarging the scope of my invention within the appended claims. ,i,

Having described my invention, what I claim is g c 1. In alselective vending machine, a plurality of article holders arranged in close juxtaposition in a lineal series, hinges, one

for each holder hinging same in said casing so that they are independently oscillatable upon their respective hinges, each. holder havingits outer end open, a curved wall to said casing adapted to close the open ends of all holders; said wall conforming to an are described about the center of the hinges and closely spaced from the open ends of the holders, said casing having an open portion with which the open end of any holder will. register when that holder is properly moved on its hinge.

2. In a selective dispensing machine, a casing having front and back walls respectively, a plurality of open end article holders arranged in a lineal series between said walls, each holder being individually hinged in said casing adjacent the one end of the holder whereby each holder may be moved so that its upper end may rest against either wall, said casing having a top wall provided with an open portion with which the open end of a holder is registered when the holder rests against one wall, said top wall also having a closed portion which covers the open end of a holder when said holder is resting againstthe other one of the spaced walls.

3. In a selective machine of the class described, a casing having spaced parallel walls, a plurality of rectangular article holders closed at the lower end and open at the upper end, and including vertical walls joining the closed end, a hinge for each holder connecting the corresponding holder hingedly to one of the spaced walls of the casin at a point adjacent'the intersection of the closed end and one vertical wall respectively of'the holder whereby each holder may be tilted from one posit-ion to another between the spaced walls, a topwall to said casing having a closed portion adapted to cover the upper open end of the article holders which are in the one position, said top wall having an open portion rendering the open ends of the holders accessible when said holders are in the other of said ositions. I

4. In a selective dispensing machine, a rock shaft, a cam keyed to sald rock shaft to turn therewith and slidable along said shaft to any selected position, a plurality of article holders each having a bottom wall hinged at a point above and to one side of said shaft so that each bottom wall thereof overlies said shaft in spaced relation in position to be raised byturning movement of said cam, and means for holding each bottom wall spaced above said shaft for movement of the cam along said shaft.

5. In a selective dispensing machine, a

. rock shaft, a cam keyed to said rock shaft to turn therewith and slidable along said shaft to any selected position, a plurality 'of article holders each having a bottom wall hinged at a point above and to one side of I enclosing said shaft and article holders, a

top wall to said casing having an open end normally covered by the closed portion of said top wall; the open portion of the top wall being positioned to register with the open end of an article holder when the bottom wall of said holder is acted on by said cam.

In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM G. CUTLER. 

